Inter-fitted furniture has been popular for many years. Past designs have required complicated assembly operations. To reduce part count, relatively thick part sections (with attendant heavy part weights) commonly have been employed. Additionally, to achieve a stable structure (e.g., a structure that resists wobbling when loaded), fasteners or complicated geometric structures have been necessary. Further, because of one or more of the foregoing, assembled structures were prone to remaining assembled and often lack ready transportability.
Despite the above efforts there has remained a need in the art for improved inter-fitted furniture that meets one or more of the following needs: it is relatively easy to assemble, it is relatively easy to transport, it packages in a relatively flat and low-profile structure, it is relatively stable (e.g., it resists wobbling when loaded), it can be manufactured in large quantities but yet allow for customization (e.g., its structure lends itself to mass-customization), it is relatively lightweight, it is relatively easy to disassemble, it requires no hand tools to assemble, or it can be manufactured by a system that limits material usage and/or waste.
Examples of efforts to provide various articles of furniture include those disclosed in Published U.S. Patent Application Nos. 20020069797; 20030205180; and U.S. Pat. Nos. 401,798; 1,940,117; 2,481,671; 3,338,189; 3,758,152; 4,084,517; 4,740,032; 4,765,253; 4,832,421; 5,367,964; 5,644,995; 6,206,473; 6,619,749; 6,807,912; and 7,219,962, all incorporated by reference.